The Boston Retro Wheelmen had their third meet today. The agenda was coffee, a short ride, and a wheel truing workshop. It was a hot and humid day, with the threat of showers, but thankfully the rain held out until after the event was over! To beat the heat before and after the ride, there were shady trees outside of Peet’s and, more importantly, in Cycler’s back yard for the truing workshop. In all, about a dozen people showed up.
Heading out from Harvard Square, we made a short pit-stop at Cycler’s house to drop off the truing stands for the truing workshop. We then headed out along Memorial Drive toward Watertown.
We looped back around Cambridge Cemetery, and headed back to the Square via Mt. Auburn Street.
No group ride is complete without a group shot, so we detoured through Longfellow Park to pose with our bikes.
Time trials, anyone?
Back through the Square, and off to Cycler’s house for Wheel Truing 101. Cycler graciously provided cookies and lemonade, in addition to the discarded practice wheels she picked from Menotomy Bikes for the exercise. Brian and I provided the truing stands and spoke wrenches. Ironically, the salvaged wheels were perfectly true. No problem, Brian made some random spoke adjustments to one to throw it out of true, then demonstrated how to bring it back to lateral true-ness.
What quickly became apparent is that there is no one “correct” way to true a wheel: it’s a nuanced art and everyone has their own methods and tricks of the trade. Brian and I shared our own nuggets of truing wisdom, and I think everyone learned something– including me and Brian.
Thanks to everyone who made it today, and thanks to Cycler for the shady space, the practice wheels, and the lemonade and cookies! All in all a great time. Next meet will probably see a longer ride, but still end with a workshop. Ideas and input for the next workshop are welcome… Hub rebuilding? Headset rebuilding?
More photos from today’s event can be seen
here.
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on Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 7:18 pm and is filed under retronews.
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